Dr. Laura Nyblade, Senior
Technical Advisor on Stigma and Discrimination, Division of Global Health, RTI
International, spoke to the members of the International Federation on Aging
on Friday, March 26, 2022. She is an expert on stigma and discrimination.
A
stigma is a social process that we unconsciously engage in, and it is an “othering”
process. For example, we distinguish and label differences by distinguishing
between Us and Them. We apply negative attributes such as “frail” and “deaf.” “Othering”
is a process, implying that “they” are lesser. This leads to status loss,
discrimination, and loss of self-esteem. We measure perceived stigma,
influencing how we act. We internalize it and believe it, sometimes impacting our
physical and mental health. For example, “If I put my hearing aids in, I may be
perceived negatively.”
Although
Dr. Nyblade is not a gerontologist, her research on stigmas and discrimination
are related to older adults, who are trivialized, infantilized, diminished, patronized,
and reduced to taking up space in a world that no longer needs them. We use
stigmas to keep others down, to control them. Stigmas and ageism permeate health
facilities and the medical profession and structural changes are needed. Most
often, health workers are unaware of it, beginning with the reception area, and
medical facilities are addressing it. Stigma reduction training begins with
identifying the actionable drivers of stigma: What can we do right now to
reduce it?
In the
Q&A session, Dr. Nyblade was asked, “Children who lack self-support may be
insecure. Does that lead to a lifelong struggle for power by stigmatizing
others?” Dr. Nyblade did not have the answer to that, as it is related to
childhood development and self-esteem. However, she said the question suggests
the importance of looking at optimism.
To
learn more about Dr. Nyblade’s research and work on stigmas, click on this
link.
https://www.rti.org/expert/laura-nyblade
No comments:
Post a Comment